--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People kill what they fear. They burned…" description: "\"People kill what they fear. They burned, and drowned, and hanged those they saw as witches, the devil's servants: the wise women and the cunning men, t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/neil-gaiman-29_burned_people-kill-what-they-fear-they-burned-a_1698863.jpg" --- # People kill what they fear. They burned, and drowned, and… ![“People kill what they fear. They burned, and drowned, and hanged those they saw as witches, the devil's servants: the wise women and the cunning men, the unfortunate, the lost and the strange” quote by Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/neil-gaiman-29_burned_people-kill-what-they-fear-they-burned-a_1698863.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/neil-gaiman-29_burned_people-kill-what-they-fear-they-burned-a_1698863.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/086/neil-gaiman-29_burned_people-kill-what-they-fear-they-burned-a_1698863.jpg) > “People kill what they fear. They burned, and drowned, and hanged those they saw as witches, the devil's servants: the wise women and the cunning men, the unfortunate, the lost and the strange” [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societies often destroy those they misunderstand or deem dangerous, projecting fear onto marginalized groups. **In simple terms:** People destroy what they fear. Key Takeaway Beware fear‑driven persecution. Themes fear persecution othering mass hysteria Mood dark cautionary reflective Type warning social commentary philosophical When to use this quote - witch hunts - political purges - online shaming - cultural scapegoating Key Concepts scapegoating social control psychology of fear Questions to Reflect On - Who have you labeled as threatening without cause? - How does fear shape collective actions? A Different Perspective Fear can be rationalized as protection, leading to unjust violence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cunning man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cunning-man/) [Devil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/devil/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Wise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise/) [Wise women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wise-women/) [Witch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witch/) [Witches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witches/) ## Related quotes > [I am starting to accept that you never loved me. 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